China has role in Kashmir: Attique

Hameed Shaheen

ISLAMABAD: Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir says China, being contiguous regional country, is destined to play a crucial role in efforts for settlement of Kashmir dispute. “In fact strategically there are seven parties to this dispute now: Pakistan, India, Kashmiris, China, UN Security Council, European Parliament (EP) and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). Kashmir is being debated as active dispute on the yearly agendas of EP and OIC who have passed strong resolutions supporting Kashmiris right to self-determination”, he said while talking to a group of legal experts meeting him in Kashmir House here.

“China is a global power and is bound to play a global role. British Prime Minister Mr David Cameron’s call yesterday to China to undertake its role as global balancer is in fact acceptance of the emerging status of China in world affairs. The phenomenal economic rise of Beijing is most impressive and it is now an active model for the developing nations”, he observed.

The AJK Premier expressed the need to coordinate the Kashmir roles of all the seven parties to the dispute. “It is a happy sign that the EP has agreed to associate the UN and the OIC in its (EP’s) Kashmir settlement efforts at the global level. What we now need is to consolidate all Kashmir-specific roles of UN, OIC, EP, Pakistan, China, Kashmiris to smoothen avenues towards peaceful solution to the dispute, he pointed out.

“We understand”, the AJK Premier said, “that the EP is trying to have UN and OIC participations in its forthcoming Global Discourse on Kashmir being held in Brussels in mid-March next year”. Therefore our diplomatic recourse should be tailored according to this new emerging reality of global institutional linkage on Kashmir, he stressed.

Replying a question he said that the US considers Kashmir as a dispute. President Barack Obama during his recent India visit clearly classed Kashmir as longstanding dispute needing solution. UK also harbors similar views, considers Kashmir as outstanding dispute requiring settlement, he added.

It is a mockery of diplomacy to support Indian wish to ascend to the UN Security Council seat leaving Kashmir dispute unsettled at India’s backyard, the AJK Premier added.